


Bone-full

by hummingrightalong



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-11-18 13:10:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18121373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hummingrightalong/pseuds/hummingrightalong
Summary: Aaron meets Enid while he's recruiting in the early days.





	Bone-full

**Author's Note:**

> A headcanon that my gf came up with, felt like it needed to become a drabble.

He’s on his own this time out. 

Aaron doesn’t know it just yet, but nobody, especially his usual scouting partner (also his husband) will ever believe this happened to him. He’s not quite sure either. 

On an especially strange trail, he follows the hand-drawn signs for an entire day until he realizes they always draw him back to the same place. Maybe that’s where they started, or maybe that’s where this elusive stranger is staying. He hopes not; his best guess as to where they’re staying is not an inspiring scene.

When he finally catches up with the single teenage girl his heart breaks a little. She seems dirty, exhausted, and a little malnourished. He pulls over slowly and offers her some supplies, a ride somewhere maybe? She says nothing, taking the bottles of water, some canned food, and keeps walking. 

In the old world the fact that he keeps slowly following as she walks along the side of the road might look creepy as hell. It probably still does. But he’s been on her trail a long time, and seeing her now, he’s damn sure she doesn’t have a traveling partner or community. If she ever did they’ve been gone a while. Judging by her silence and the look in her eyes she’s been alone a long time.

The only thing he’s got to go on as he keeps slightly behind her pace is that he glimpses a hand stitched name on her backpack- ENID. It’s obviously been lovingly hand sewn- Aaron’s not really judging by the work so much that it’s an old and unpopular name (pretty though)- in other words, not one you’d find made by the company when the bag was bought. 

Eventually she, Enid, stops at what must be her campsite. There’s hardly any protection from the elements or the walking dead, just a tree with those same three letters etched into it. She sits under it and pulls a comic book from her bag, doesn’t stop him or even seem to notice when he asks permission to at least set up a little better.

Aaron begins anchoring a spare tent her carries and a tarp, loading up some more supplies. He talks about Alexandria while he does, the usual pitch mostly but with the enthusiasm of genuine concern of a child out her by herself. She looks up a few times, meets his eyes, raises a brow and shrugs. 

He hands her a map, draws the exact direction she should walk if she decides later on to go.

“Or I could drive you back in the morning. It’s best not to travel at night, really, and if you don’t mind I’d like to stick around and make sure you’re as safe as possible here. You don’t have to say anything until you’re ready. Not even if you come back with me in the morning, ok?” The girl just shrugs, continues reading.

That night Aaron figures the best he’s getting is eventually she gets up and helps him work on a few traps and snares for anything that might come after them while they sleep. She doesn’t even ask why he isn’t sleeping in his car, or try to take it herself. She may not know how to drive yet but he leaves the keys in it most of the evening. It was becoming clearer and clearer that she just wanted to be alone. 

Just before Aaron is about to turn in (really he probably won’t sleep much, he’s too worried about this kid and running out of ideas on how to talk her into coming back to the community) she sits beside him, digging into a cold can of ravioli.

“You never think of turtles having bones right? You think of the shell as their bone. They’re easy to catch, sentient helmets. They are full of bones. Like full. You can spell shit out with them.”

Aaron is shocked, but can’t stop himself from replying with morbid amusement. “So they’re bone- FULL, how do they taste?”

“Not good Aaron, not good. I don’t recommend the turtle. Bone full or not.” She smiles, putting on the polite air of someone talking up the menu at an upscale bistro. They share a laugh. This is the creepiest and funniest conversation he’s ever had. He has to admit that, yeah, he’s never thought about turtle bones before.

***

In the morning the girl is gone. She hadn’t spoken another word to him after the turtle conversation. He takes comfort in the fact that many of the supplies he left, as well as some gear, including the camping stove, is gone. So is the map to Alexandria. He hopes to see her there soon, wondering if maybe he’d see her during the drive back. 

He doesn’t, and during the following week he puts the encounter in the back of his mind. Constant pants-shitting terror will do that to you.

Suddenly, it occurs to him that he hadn’t asked what seemed like two very important questions. What exactly *had* she spelt out with those bones? Also, did she have an official count? He mentally kicks himself for it taking this long to come to mind, making a note that he keeps at home amongst other personal belongings to solve that mystery should he see her again.


End file.
